


like a record baby

by jestergutz



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brief mention of Mila, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff for now..., M/M, Roller Rink AU, Skater Mirage, Slow Burn ??, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:14:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28127457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jestergutz/pseuds/jestergutz
Summary: After getting stood up, Crypto meets an eccentric roller skater who might just turn his life upside down.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	like a record baby

**Author's Note:**

> I present to you: the roller rink au no one asked for!
> 
> hope you guys enjoy, I put a lot of effort into this one so hopefully you guys stick around.

Crypto didn’t want to be here. It was loud and crowded. Two of his least favorite things. He sips on a weirdly flat soda as he scans the room. No clue why his intel guy wanted to meet here of all places. The chattering of voices blended in enough to cover the melody of whatever 1980’s song was playing through the speakers, leaving only the pounding bass exposed. It was weirdly hazy for a non-smoking joint and it smelled like perfume and shoe leather. Multi-color flashing lights painted the walls with different shapes which Crypto noticed only rotated every thirty seconds since he’d been there so long. The blending of the colored lights cast a purple hue over the tacky carpeting and illuminated the faces of scattered people. Crypto pulled his jacket tighter, he figured the air conditioning unit above him was busted. The food court area was filled to the brim with groups of teens and couples hanging off each other; It was awkward as hell and he stuck out like a sore thumb. 

He scans the room again, and spots someone else who sticks out like a sore thumb. He’s not too tall, but he acts like he is. His hair was a mess of curls that looked as if they were sculpted to perfectly lay over his forehead. The way he swayed and glided across the rink was picturesque, like he was floating rather than skating. He wore a tight fitting neon tank top with booty shorts like he owned the place. Maybe he did. Crypto didn’t know. And he shouldn’t care, either. But he was bored and quiet frankly enamored by the display in front of him. Some kids run past him, obscuring his view and he loses sight of the mystery skater. 

Before he could search the room, his phone vibrates in his pocket. After digging out several items from his pocket that unsuccessfully were not his phone, he finally finds what he’s looking for. It’s a text from an unknown number: 

>> Sorry, got fucked over by my guys. Let’s meet another night. 

Of course he got stood up. Fuck. He rises from his seat, shoving his shit back in his pockets and getting ready to storm out. Pissed and already making plans to get some other intel guy who wasn’t shitty, Crypto only noticed he had crossed paths with the same skater he was making goo-goo eyes at before when they knocked into each other hard enough for both of them to stumble backwards onto the oddly sticky carpet. 

“Shit, sorry...I didn’t see you there.” A melodious tone came from the guy he knocked into. Crypto’s heart skipped a beat as he meet the gaze of two warm, bright eyes. “Yeah, uh, sorry.” He mumbled. The cheery fellow reached out a hand to help Crypto up. He took it, even though he could definitely get up on his own.  
“I’m Elliott, they call me ‘Mirage’ in the rink though.” He smiles, waiting for an answer. Crypto doesn’t give one. “Didn’t see you in the rink. Its a shame, you’d rock a pair of skates.” He looks Crypto up and down, “Why don’t you come back some time? I’m here every night...on the late shift.” He whispered that last part with a wink. Crypto didn’t know why he felt a blush creep up his cheeks. “It’s Crypto, you’re lucky I like you, maybe I will come back.” 

“Crypto...” Elliott mumbled. “...Kay” he smiles more sincerely this time. “I’ll catch you later.” His hand ghosts over Crypto’s as he skates past. It sends a shiver through his body. 

Crypto leaves that night thinking about Elliott. Not his mission, not his sister. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to the monotonous misery he’s found himself stuck in. 

__

Crypto woke to the buzzing of his phone from the same unknown number as last night. He knocks over some plastic bottles as he blindly feels around for his phone on the nightstand next to him. His clock reads 2:47pm and the sunlight in his room feels like it’s burning his eyes. He finds what he’s looking for and feels himself tense as he reads the message: 

>> hey rookie, I’ll be there tonight @ 11:30  
>> don’t fuck this up. 

Crypto rises with a groan, blinking a few times before reading the messages over again. 11:30...he wonders if Elliott will be there. 

He didn’t want to get up or shower or just take care of himself in general but the thought of seeing that guy again made him want to try for the first time in a while.  
___

He triple checked the address again as he entered through the automatic doors of the roller rink. He felt awkward again, being a Friday night everyone and their mother was hanging out there. He got stares for walking in alone and bypassing the skate rental booth but it’s not like he’s there to have fun. In fact, he isn’t too jazzed about being back. Something about trading info in the same place hosting birthday parties and normal children being tugged around by their parents didn’t seem right to him. He really needed this tip though and he was willing to risk a whole lot to get his hands on it. 

He settles down at the same worn booth he was at the day before, it smells like old cigarettes and theres initials carved into the wood of the frame. He takes out the controller for his drone and fiddles with it to keep him occupied while he waits. 

He catches the eye of Elliott from across the room and winces as he realizes he involuntarily invited the guy over to talk. In an instant, the guy was at his table flaunting is beauty for everyone to see.  
“Well, didn’t think I’d see you again.” He smiles, looking as if he was desperate just to look at Crypto so closely.  
“Didn’t think I’d be here so soon but...here we are.” Crypto felt hot, his jacket felt stuffy and heat crept up his cheeks. “I’m here on business, actually.” His meaning was just to explain himself but Elliott took it differently. 

Tonight he’s wearing an apron tied around his waist, his shirt is a tight button up again except the top few buttons were undone— revealing an obscene amount of chest hair. His shorts were red today, with a few black spots of thread where they had been ripped and sewn back together. 

“Oh, I’ll leave you be then.” He gives a warm grin and turns to leave.  
“Uh, I’d love to talk after, though.” Crypto adds, stopping himself from grabbing Elliott’s wrist as he turned.  
“Okay, it’s a date” Elliott winks and makes his exit. Crypto felt like he just ran a marathon. Oh God. His face was hot and he wanted so badly to get Elliott alone. Was that weird? Was Elliott just being friendly and he’s reading way too far into this? Fuck. It’s been too long and too tough for him to fall for anyone. Why now? Crypto puts his head down on the table to pull himself together as he hears heavy boots stride up to his booth. It’s him. 

Without looking, Crypto is fast to start prodding. “Why this place? It’s crawling with kids, that’s dangerous.” Crypto remains stiff in his seat as a hooded man approaches his table. He’s wearing a mask and dark glasses as well. It’s definitely him.  
“Oh please, they don’t give a shit about anything other than themselves. It’s loud, no one cares about what two sketchy guys are discussing hunched over a table at the fucking food court. Quit being paranoid.” He tosses a paper file on the table and it lands with a smack.  
It’s enough to put him back on track to find Mila. “Thanks.” He hisses as the man leaves the table. He meets eyes with Elliott from across the room, he gives him a nod. Elliott winks back at him with a huge grin. Crypto looks away as heat creeps up his cheeks. He’s not sure if it’s a blush or anger in the moment. He needs a new insider that didn’t treat him like shit. What does he know about losing family? 

Elliott could tell Crypto was bothered by something and before he realized he was moving, he was already in front of the hacker.  
“Everything okay there, sharp shooter?” His tone is cautious.  
“No.” He definitely caught Crypto’s message: don’t pry.  
He sat down across from him. “We close in 15, can you stay that long?” He asks in a hushed tone, leaning close over the table.  
Crypto looked up from his controller, looking over Elliott’s face for any sign of why he would be asking that.  
“Yeah, sure.” He responded in a cool tone, keeping his voice low.  
“Awesome.” He beams, turning and taking a step before turning on his heel to ask “oh, what’s your shoe size?”  
“Uh, ten?” Crypto answers before thinking. Before he could protest or say he wasn’t good at skating, Elliot was gone. He couldn’t help but stare intently at Elliotts ass as he skates away. He leans his head back against the wall of the booth and rests his eyes for a moment. Guess he has to make himself not look like an idiot on wheels in fifteen minutes. 

The sounds of 80’s synth pop starts to blur in his ears as he slips doses off.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As always follow me @jestergutz on Twitter for updates and check out some of my other cryptage fics!! <3


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